Concentrating-machine.



No.739, 08 1. PATENTED SEPT.1'5,1903.7 T. H. HIqK's.

GONGENTRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1901. N0 MODEL.

INQVENTORTY A A TTORNE 1.

m: "cams Pzrsns 20.. moraumou WASHINGTON. n. c.

ivo. 739,08'1.

UNITED STATES" THOMAS HAMMILL HICKS, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE. EXTRACTION OOMPANY,A CORPORATION OF HICKS GOLD AND SILVER GEORGIA.

Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CONCENTRATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,081, dated September 15, 1903.

' Application filed November 1, 1901. Serial No. 80.726. CNo model.)

T0 wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l I, THOMAS HAMMILL HICKS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented cer-' tain new and useful Improvements in Ooncentrating-ltlachines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

My invention relates -to improvements in concentrating-machines; and the object of my improvement is to afford means for collect ing separately from ore which has been previously subjected to the action of mercury or mercury-vapor the particles of amalgam and floured mercury and the sulfids.

I attain my'object by theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- 1 is a rotatable cylindrical vessel mounted vessel is flared slightly outward and forms the outlet of said vessel. The said upper end of the vessel 1 is constructed in annular sections 10 and 6, which range, respectively, one above the other. The top of the vessel proper has a flange 3, and the said section 6 has lower and upper flanges S and 7, respectively. The said lower flange 8 and said flange 3 are connected by any suitable means, such as screws 3, so as to allow an intervening opening 9 between said flanges, the extent of which opening may be varied by adjusting said screws. The section 10 of said vessel has a flange 12, which is connected with the said upper flange 7 of said section 6 by any suitable means, such as screws 3' so as to allowan intervening opening 11 between said flanges, the extent of which opening may be varied by adjusting said screws.

A mercury-coated copper lining 4 is arranged in the vessel 1 and extends from its bottom upward and covers the upper surface of the flange 3 of said vessel, and therefore extends through the opening 9, and a quantity of mercury 13 is placed in the bottom of said vessel.

An inwardly-projecting annular ring of any suitable material, such as iron, is arranged within the vessel 1 and forms a dam 5 at a point beneath the opening 9 and from which point the said vessel flares outwardly. Annular receptacles v15, 16, and 17 are ar-' ranged, respectively, around the opening 9, opening 11', and the upper end or outlet of said vessel to receive the respective discharges therefrom. Annular rings 18, 19, and '20 are fixed upon said receptacles, respectively, to prevent splashingof the contents of one of said receptacles into another.' Each of said receptacles has a drain opening 21, 22,

and 23, respectively, arranged in their bottoms, through which their contents may be drawn off A feed-pipe 13 extends into said vessel and is adapted to discharge into the lower portion thereof.

The vessel 1 may be mounted in any suitable manner so as to be rotated at high speed. I have shown the vessel mounted upon the upper end of a vertical spindle 25, which is held in position by the box-bearing 26 near its upper end and'a step-bearing 31 at its lower end. A fraineconsisting of a base 32, standards 33, and top 34 serves to support the said bearings. The said box-bearing 26 depends loosely through the top 31 and has a flange 27, which rests thereon. An annular rubber cushion 29 encircles said box-bearing and is held at its periphery between the lower side of the top 34 and the collar 35, secured thereto. In this manner serious vibration of the vessel 1 is obviated. A pulley 30 is fixed upon the spindle 25, and a belt 36 is trained thereon, by which said spindle is driven.

The casting 14, which forms the receptacles 15, 16, and 17, is mounted upon posts 24, which surmount the top 345.

In the operation of my invention the vessel 1 is rotated at high speed, and consequently mercury and particles of amalgam, is mixed with a suitable quantity of water and is fed into the vessel through the feed-pipe 13, as indicated at E. By reason of centrifugal force the contents of the vessel will tend radially from the center thereof, and the said particles of amalgam being relatively heavier than the other contents of the vessel will penetrate the mercury B and lodge upon the copper lining 4, approximately as indicated by the dotted line A, and the floured mercury being relatively heavier than the ore will pass through said ore in its globuled state and, coming into contact with the mercuryB with great force, will coalesce therewith, and thereby will be recovered from the ore-pulp. When the mercury B is sufiiciently increased in quantity by the coalescence with the floured mercury, it will overflow the dam 5, and the overflowing portion thereof will be carried upward to the opening 9, where by reason of the mercurycoated surface of the lining and centrifugal force will be carried through said opening and discharged into the receptacle 15. Ifsulfids are contained in the ore, they will be thrown against the layer of mercury B, as indicated by the dotted line C, and the constant supply of ore and water E from the feed-pipe 13 into said vessel will force the sulfids upwardly over the smooth surface of the mercury B, over the darn 5, and past the opening9,(theopeningt)notbeingsuliiciently large to receive sulfids nor to allow a free passage of water,) and out through the opening 11, where they are discharged into the receptacle 16. The water and ore-gangue contained therein are thrown against. the sulfids, approximately as indicated by the dotted line D, and are forced upwardly by the incoming supply of ore and water from the feed-pipe 13 past the openings 9 and 11 and are discharged over the top of the section 10 of the vessel and into the receptacle 17. The said opening 11 is to be adjusted so as to prevent any portion of the ore-pulp except the sulfids from passing through and into the receptacle 16. When a quantity of amalgam shall have accumulated in the vessel, the same may be removed by stopping the vessel and scraping it from the lining.

Of course my machine may be operated with the section 10 of the vessel removed, in which case the water and ore-gangue will be discharged, together with the sulfids, into the receptacle 16, or the opening 11 may be completely closed, in which case the ore-gangue and sulfids would pass directly into the receptacle 17. may be subsequently separated from the oregangue by any suitable means.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a concentrating-machine, a rotatable cylindrical vessel adapted to contain mercury, a discharge-opening for mercury escaping from said vessel, a mercury-coated lining covering the interior of said vessel and extending through the discharge-opening, and means for adjusting the area of the discharge-opening to prevent the discharge of water or ore while permitting the discharge of mercury.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS HAMMILL HICKS.

Witnesses:

WILMER LEONARD, W. G. BURNS.

In either instance the sulfids- 

